Safety device for elevators.



J. F. DEAN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1911.

1,011,758. Patented Dec.12,1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. DEAN, 0F SGRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DAVIDv It. JAMES AND LEE 1?. STARK, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA. I

SAFETY DEVICE .FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Application filed April 8, 1911. Serial No. 619,865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. DEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety devices for elevators of that class which operate to prevent movement of the elevator car or cage when any elevator door is open, and consists essentially of an electrical circuit breaker adapted to be secured to the grille work or partition'of an elevator shaft in such manner that the elevator: door in closing pushes against-the plunger embodied in the circuit breaker and causes said plunger to close the circuit by contact with apair of movably supported levers in circuit with the electrical devices controlling the actuation r of the elevator car or cage. I

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this class having a simple and effective construction and positive operation and by the use of which it will be impossible for any door of/an elevator shaft to be left open or unlatched in View of the fact that it is necessary, in order to have the improved circuit breaker operate, that each door he completely closed and latched before the car or cage can be actuated.

.In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety device or circuit breaker embodying the features of the invention and showing the parts disposed in the position they will occupy when the circuit is open, the casing being broken away. Flg. 2 is an elevation of a portion of the partition or grille work of an elevator shaft and of the circuit breaker illustrating a part of the casing removed and showing the parts m the position they will occupy when the elevator door is open and the circuit broken. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 show ng the door closed and the parts in the positlon they will occupy when the circuit is com pleted.

The improved safety device or clrcuit breaker is intended to cooperate with any electrical means for controlling the actuation of an elevator car or cage, andv as the invention does not in the least affect the or ganization of the said electrical controlling means the latter has not been shown, but

the safety device or circuit breaker with any.

preferred'motor controlling means to which it may be-applicable.

The casing 5 is constructed of suitablemetal and has a removable plate or cover 6 secured thereto to protect the parts of the circuit breaker and render the latter readily accessible. The casing 5 carrying all of the parts of the circuit breaker or safetydevice is secured in suitable position on the inner portion of the partition or grille work of the elevator shaft adjacent to each door of the latter. Within the casing an insulating plate or support 7- of suitable material is secured and thereon are pivotally mounted a pair of contact levers 8 which are fulcruined adjacent to their forward extremities as at 9, the said'levers being normally held in forwardly diverged relation through the medium of flat springs 10 secured at their rear ends to the plate or support 7 and having their free ends continually hearing against the adjacent-edges of the levers in rear of the fulcrums 9 of the latter. The springs 10 are'held in positive engaging po sitions relatively to the levers 8 by stops or retaining devices 11 0f suitable insulating material 7 which have inner reduced ends bearing against the said springs between the attached and free ends of said springs. The springs 10 hold the rear extremities of the levers 8 against an insulating stop 12 which serves as a partition device when the levers are free from contact with the door actu' ated element which will be presently described. The levers 8 are forced inwardly with considerable resisting pressure by the springs 10 and their inner opposing edges are clear or fully exposed to insure reliable and positive contact therewith of the, door actuated element and insure a' completion of the circuit through the medium of the said levers and the door actuated element. Therefore it will be understood that the levers 8 provide elongated rigid contact ter:

minals which are freely movable to accommodate the part of the door actuated element shiftable therebetween. To the front extremities of the levers 8 in advance of the fulcrums 9, circuit wires 13 are attached and form part of the circuit including the motor controlling means or electrical devices cooperating with the motor for actuating the car or cage of an elevator. These circuit wires 13 are continued through the casing 5 as shown and may be of any approved form and insulated from the casing The door actuated element consists of a plunger 14: movable through a fixed sleeve 15 in the front edge of the casing 5, the outer free end of the plunger having a head 16, and the rear end of said plunger within the casing is secured to an insulating strip or block 17 to which is attached a wedgeshaped separator or expander 18 to engage the inner opposing edgesof the levers 8 and complete the circuit through said levers. The plunger 14 is encircled by a spring 19 between the head 16 and the sleeve 15, and when pressure is relieved from the head 16 the said spring forces the plunger outwardly from the casing and withdraws the separator or' expander 18 from contact with the levers '8 and immediately the said levers are forced against the stop block or partition 12, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. The movement of the expander or separator 18 out of contact with the levers 8 in the manner just explained ensues when the door of the elevator shaft is opened, and the circuit including the said levers and the motor controlling means or electrical devices is broken and the elevator car or cage cannot be again artuated or set in motion until the circuit is completed through the medium of the said expander or separator. When the operator closes the door of the elevator, the edge or a projecting portion of the door engages the head 16 of the plunger and the latter, together with the expander or separator 18, is shifted and a full closure and securement of the door by its latch results in a completion of the circuit, and a continuance of said circuit completion until some other door is opened and the plunger released. If the door be only partially closed or unsecured the safety device or circuit closer will not operate with certainty in view of the fact that the spring-actuated plunger is sufiicientlyforceful to repel the door when the latter is released, and hence a complete closure and securement of the door by the operator are enforced before actuation .or movement of the elevator car or cage will ensue. The interposition of the levers 8 between the springs 9 and the expander or separator 18 insures durability in the wearing of positive contact of the separator or expanderon-the plunger with the said levers. The stop block 12 of insulating material prevents-the rear extremities of the levers 8 from having contact and closing the circuit when the separator or expander 18 iswithdrawn from between the said levers and in addition holds-the latter in receptive posi-' qualities of the device as well as surety tion best adapted for making contact with the opposite edge portions of said separator or expander, and by this means all possibility of completing the circuit accidentally or otherwise is prevented except by engagementof the separator or'expander with the levers.

The safety device or circuit closer as hereinbefore indicated will be preferably disposed on the partition or grille work of the elevator shaft adjacent to the door, one of the safety devices or closers operating with each door at the landings through which the shaft extends. In some instances and if de- I sired the safety device or closer might be used on the car or cage to operate with the door of the latter, particularly in that class of elevator organizations wherein the cars or cages are providedwith doors in addition to the doors used at the landings through which the'elevator shaft extends.

Changes in the proportions and dimensions of the several parts of the safety device or closer may also be adopted at will to accommodate various applications.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a device of the class set forth, a pair of rigid intermediately fulcrumed levers having electricalconnections, an insulating block with which the rear ends of the levers normally engage, and a contact making device movable between the said levers, the levers when free of contact with saidde vice forming a converging recess between them and engaging opposite edges of the device when the latter is forced into the recess a certain distance to disengage them from the insulating block and to complete the circuit through the said contact making device.

2. A safety device or circuit closer of the class specified comprising a pair of conducting levers fulcrumed adjacent to their front extremities, springs engaging the levers in rear of the fulcrum pointsof the latter, an insulating device with which the rear ends of the levers are normally heldin engagement by the said springs, electrical connections for theievers, and a spring'actuated plunger having a'contact member movable between and engageable with the inner opposing edges of the levers to complete a circuit through the latter, the levers being expanded by the engagement of the contact member therewith to separate them from the insulating device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. DEAN.

Witnesses;

LEE P. STARK, WILLIAMS. BALLET. I 

